Hose-supporter.



N0. 70,100. I Patented oct. |4,. |902.

w. s. HuNKlNs.

HOSE SUPPDRTER. (Applicazmn mea my 7,1902.;

(No Model.)

,I v u WITNESSES INVENTOR UNTTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM S. HUNKINS, OF MERRIAM PARK, MINNESOTA.

HOSE-SUPPORTEIR` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,108, dated October 14, 1902.

Application tiled May 7, 1902. Serial No. 106,249. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. HUNKINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Merriam Park, Ramsey county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hose-Supporters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to hose-supporters for womens use.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction in which several hose-supporting straps are attached in a new manner to a pad in common to all said straps, said pad in turn being provided with means whereby it may be detachably secured to a corset. The means of connection for said pad is such that not only is the entire lower front portion of the corset held down into its proper position, but the lateral shifting of the pad is entirely prevented, thus insuring comfort and ease to the wearer and preventing the twisting of the hose on the' leg. In connection with the pad are fastening devices which coact with companion fastening devices, so that the same may be detachably secured to any corset in the manner hereinafter described. The shape or contour of the pad is such that it harmonizes with the outline of the corset, and the attachments are so made that the pad will always lie in proper position and will not wrinkle, swing, or shift from its intended position.

In the drawings, Figure lis a front view of the invention substantially as it appears on the wearer. Fig. 2 is afragmentary portion of the invention. Fig. 8 is a rear View of a detail of construction. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the detail shown in Fig. 3.

A is apad, preferably of triangular shape, so arranged in use that one of the broad sides will be uppermost.

B B are fastening devices in the form of studs, (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2,) which studs are secured to the rear side of the pad at the upper opposite corners thereof. The upper edge of the pad is preferably cut down in the manner indicated, so that its lowest point will be below a plane intersecting the two fastening devices B B.

D is a suspension-strap extending from corner to corner along the upper edge.

E E are companion fastening devices coacting with the studs B. These companion fastening devices comprise, preferably, mmetallic loops, each of which has hinged upon its rear side a pin e, each of said pins having double prongs or points. The rear side of each loop Eis provided with lugs e' e, forming sheaths adapted to entirely receive the points ofthe pins e e, not only to securely hold the same, but to prevent said points from in any Way abrading the fabricof the corset to which said companion fastening devices E may be attached. i v

F F are straps, preferably non-elastic and secured on oblique lines to the opposite lower edges ofthe pad A and near the lower end of said pad. The advantage of making the lines of connection oblique is that a greater length of contact is'secured than the mere width of the straps F, thus giving a greater holdingsurface and distributing the strains more generally over the surface of the pad.

G G are straps connected to the outer lower edge of the pad on oblique lines .in a manner similar to the connections of the strapsF F. The general plane of engagement of the straps F F is below the general plane of engagement of the straps G G, the latter being engaged withV the pad 'in the upper part thereof.

FV F are flexible connections from the straps F.

F2 F2 are fastening devices of any Wellknown pattern whereby said straps may be engaged with the hose directly.

G G are flexible straps depending from the straps G and provided with fastening devices G2 G2, preferably similar to the fastening devices F2.

H H are buckles whereby the hose-supporter straps may be lengthened or shorten ed, as desired, in the well-known manner.

While it is apparent that the straps F G are of different lengths and pull from different elevations, the area of contact is so great between the straps and the pads relatively to the width of the straps and the size of the pad thatv the strains are distributed uniformly throughout the entire pad in both veltical and oblique lines. This end is attained by the particular arrangement and construction of the pad and the .straps connected thereto, which provides that the pad shall be ICO narrower at the lower end than at the upper end. In practice the lifting tendency of each strap is substantially the same. Hence the stockings are held evenly and securely in their correct position'. By arranging the straps F F directly under the central portion of the pad A and attaching them to the innear the front lower edge, the pad A cannotk rock, nor can it slip around, so as to produce a greater strain upon one stocking than on the other, as would be the case were the pad loosely hung, so that it could swing or move laterally. The suspension-strap D at the upper edge of the pad conveys the strains evenly to both loops or fastening devices without breaking down or distorting the surface of the pad. The companion fastening devices E are arranged obliqu ely when secured to the corset, so that when the hose-supporter is in use it cannotbecome accidentally disengaged from the corset by slipping up. When the tension on the pad is released, the upper edge yof the pad may be pulled out into a straight line and the fastenings B disengaged from the fastening devices E, even though the latter are set on oblique lines, as shown. The pad may then be readily attached or detached. It is obvious that as soon as downward tension is applied to the pad it will assuine its normal shape, and the suspensionstrap will tend to draw the fasteners B B toward each other and downwardly into the lower ends of the loops E, in which position the parts are securely held.

The shape of the pad A is such that it may be placed very low upon the corset and yet not interfere in the slightest with the ease or comfort of the wearer in walking or sitting.

A garment-supporter comprising, a pad the side edges of which converge downwardly on oblique lines, hose-supporting straps com prising an inner set and an outer set the inner set being secured near the lower end of the pad and along the opposite oblique side edges of the same, the outer set'being secured to the pad near the upper end of the pad and along the opposite oblique side edges of the same, and means at the two upper opposite corners of said pad and adjacent to the upper ends of the outer straps for connecting said pad to one of the undergarments.

WILLIAM S. HNKINS.

Witnesses:

R. C. MITCHELL, J. B. BAssnTT. 

